Accident - by Aidan
I was fourteen years old when I had my accident. I had just gone into Second Year in De La Salle College, Churchtown. I had great friends and I loved playing football. I had dreams for my future, some days I want to be a great footballer, other days I thought I'd like to be an engineer. I enjoyed cycling on my bike to and from school. I had no worries that I can remember.
That day I was cycling home from school, looking forward to meeting up with my friends. I don't remember the accident. It happened as I was cycling out Palmerston Park, in Rathmines, not far from my home. I was hit by a car, and thrown over the bonnet, hitting my head on the road. I was unconscious and remained so for many weeks. I was taken to hospital, where the doctors battled to save my life. I had two operations to remove blood clots from my brain. My parents told me afterwards how they sat beside me day after day willing and praying for me to recover.
I stayed in a coma for almost twelve weeks. Gradually, I began to become conscious. This was a terrible time. I was strapped down in a bed, unable to move, eat or speak. I prayed it was a just a bad dream and that I would wake up soon. But there was no escape.
I was moved to the National Rehabilation Centre, in Rochestown Avenue, Dun Laoghaire. There I had to endure painful physiotherapy, I had to have speech therapy to learn to speak again. Even though the staff were kind, I hated it there. I tried to escape one day, and managed to hobble out onto the main road in my pyjames, trying to hail a bus to get home. I wanted my old life back. But I couldn't have it back.
My family were great. But most of my friends got on with their own lives. I tried to go back to school, but it didn't work out. My dreams were shattered. I'd never be an engineer, let alone a footballer. When I left the Rehabilitation Centre after several months, I came home to a very different life. I was partially paralysed on my right side. I couldn't use my right hand. I still had speech difficulties. Sometimes I just felt so angry, often without knowing why.
As the years passed, I learned to adjust to my new life. It wasn't easy. I couldn't get a job. I found it difficult to socialize. It was lonely at times. However, my family were always there for me. As the years passed, I met people who helped me and I am very grateful to them.
I would ask young people today to be especially careful on the roads. What a difference a day makes, what a difference a second makes! If I had checked more carefully at the gates of the park before cycling onto the road, if the young driver who hit me had driven more
slowly, if helmets had been available for cyclists back then, probably the accident would not have had such serious consequences. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. I can come and speak to you here today. Other accidents victims are bedridden, unable to speak, or dead.
So whether you drive, cycle or walk, be careful on the road. I've learned to accept my life as it is today, with its limitations. But it's not the life it could have been. Look after yourselves, don't let one careless moment spoil everything for yourselves and for others.
Thank you.